WO2011023844A1

WO2011023844A1 - Package with tamper protection

Info

Publication number: WO2011023844A1
Application number: PCT/FI2009/050684
Authority: WO
Inventors: Juho Viironen; Johanna Liipola
Original assignee: Nokia Corporation
Priority date: 2009-08-31
Filing date: 2009-08-31
Publication date: 2011-03-03

Abstract

A package for a product made of a folded sheet that has a front section between a fixing flap section and a rear section. The front section and rear section provide two exterior surfaces of the package. The folded sheet further has rounded end flap sections configured to reside between the front section and the rear section and to bend the front and rear sections into arced form when the package is closed so that the package gains stiffness. The fixing flap is fixed to the rear section. The package further comprises a seal configured to enable detecting whether the package has been opened.

Description

PACKAGE WITH TAMPER PROTECTION TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention generally relates to a package with tamper protection. More particularly, though not exclusively, the invention relates to packaging of mobile phones.

BACKGROUND ART

Mobile phones are annually sold in vast amounts, in the scale of a billion phones. Each phone is typically packaged into a cardboard or plastic box with cushions to hold the phone and related accessories and with space for user instructions. The package is provided for transport, storage and display of products on sale as well as for providing potential purchasers with necessary information such as properties of the product in the package.

SUMMARY According to a first example aspect of the invention there is provided a package for a product, the package comprising a folding sheet, wherein:

- the folding sheet comprises a front section between a fixing flap section and a rear section, which front section and rear section provide two exterior surfaces of the package;

- the folding sheet further comprises rounded end flap sections configured to reside between the front section and the rear section and to bend the front and rear sections into arced form when the package is closed so that the package gains stiffness;

- the fixing flap is configured to fix the fixing flap to the rear section; and - the package comprises a seal configured to enable detecting whether the package has been opened. The package may comprise a once removable band of folding sheet. The once removable band of folding sheet may form the seal or a further seal. The once removable band may reside in the fixing flap section. Alternatively, or additionally, the seal may comprise a once removable band in the front section. Alternatively, or additionally, the seal may comprise a once removable band in the rear section.

The removable band may be formed by perforation that is non-linear.

The removable band may be formed by perforation that has a form configured to hinder manual copying of the package.

The removable band may be formed with a tearing strip or string configured to tear off a band of the fixing flap section.

The fixing flap may be fixed to the rear section so that removing the fixing flap from the rear section by a user would normally cause visible damage to the package.

The fixing flap may be fixed to the rear section with a label configured to indicate releasing of the fixing flap from the rear section. The label may comprise a double side tape portion configured to fix the fixing flap to the rear section. The label may further comprise an adhesive portion configured to extend over an externally visible region of the rear section when the package is closed. The label may be fixed to the rear section at said externally visible region. The fixing flap may be permanently fixed to the rear section.

The end flap sections may be formed of a section separate from the front section and rear section. The end flap sections may reside, when the package is closed, indented in the package so that both the front and rear sections extend over the end flap sections. The end flap sections may be folded over arced folding lines so that the end flap sections are stiffened. The end flap sections may be rounded so that the end flap sections are more recessed in the package than surrounding parts of the end flap sections.

The rounding of the end flap sections may be configured to both stiffen the end flap sections and to facilitate in keeping the product when packaged separated from the corners of the package. The product may be a mobile phone. The mobile phone may contain a battery within the mobile phone. Alternatively, the mobile phone and the battery may be stacked or be laid adjacent to one another. The end flap sections may be configured to hold the mobile phone and an accessory of the mobile phone in place. The accessory may be selected from a group consisting of the battery, headset and charger.

The product may be a battery operated device packaged in the packaging without the battery. The product may be a portable device. The portable electronic device may be selected from a group consisting of: an Internet browser; an electronic book; a music player; a navigator; and a game device.

The folding sheet may further comprise a reverse fold section adjacent to the rear section. The reverse fold section may be folded onto the rear section so that when the package is closed, the reverse fold section resides within the package.

The end flap sections may be connected by a fold to the reverse fold section. The reverse fold section may strengthen the package. Moreover, the reverse fold section and the rear section of the folding sheet may be configured to define a pocket configured to receive a document such as sales receipt. The reverse fold section may be connected to the rear section, when the package is assembled, by a fold and also by edges at other sides. The reverse fold section may be glued to the rear section by the edges near the other sides. An opening to the pocket may be provided by a cut-out in the reverse fold section.

The package may further comprise a document attached inside the package to the reverse fold section. The package may provide a folder for the document. The end flap sections may be provided with perforation configured to facilitate removal of the end flap sections by a user so as to facilitate flattening of the package into a folder for the document.

The document may be retracted by folding.

The package may be configured repeatedly closeable. The package may be configured to provide a lip configured to hold the package closed. The lip may be provided on the fixing flap section.

The end flap sections may comprise extension parts configured to extend into the package as a lateral support for the product. The extension parts may be each configured to provide an opening adapted to receive and end of the product.

The extension parts may be dimensioned to the product. The extension parts may be configured to reduce rattling of the product within the package. The folding sheet may be made of cardboard. The folding sheet may be printed.

Term perforation may refer to forming a weakened line or curve along which the folding sheet may be torn by a user. The weakened line or curve may comprise a cut through a part of the thickness of the sheet, plurality of adjacent apertures through the sheet or a thin section produced on manufacturing the sheet, or any combination thereof. The package may be formed so that it can be placed to stand upright.

According to a second example aspect of the invention there is provided a method of producing a package for a product, the method comprising:

- cutting a piece of sheet;

- folding the piece of sheet to folds so as to form:

o a front section between a fixing flap section and a rear section, which front section and rear section provide two exterior surfaces of the package; and

o rounded end flap sections configured to reside between the front section and the rear section and to bend the front and rear sections into arced form so that the package gains stiffness;

- fixing the fixing flap to the rear section; and

- sealing the package with to enable detecting whether the package has been opened.

Different non-binding example aspects and embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated in the foregoing. The above embodiments are used merely to explain selected aspects or steps that may be utilized in implementations of the present invention. Some embodiments may be presented only with reference to certain example aspects of the invention. It should be appreciated that corresponding embodiments may apply to other example aspects as well. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 shows a schematic picture of a package sheet before assembly of a package, together with an outline of packaged product, according to an embodiment of the invention; Fig. 2 shows a schematic flow chart of producing a package sheet according to an embodiment of the invention; and

Fig. 3 shows a folding sheet before assembly into a package according to a further embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Fig. 1 shows a schematic picture of a package sheet 100 before assembly into a package, together with an outline of packaged product, according to an embodiment of the invention. The package sheet is drawn roughly in a form of letter "T" upside down, with fixing flap section 110 on top (or as an end of the vertical part of "T"), followed by front section 120, rear section 130 and reverse fold section 140. The reverse fold section extends sideways in two directions (as horizontal part of letter "T") to end flap sections 150. The end flap sections may comprise extension parts 152.

The fixing flap section 1 10 may comprise a first fixing flap printing 1 14, a seal such as a removable band 1 16, reclosing tongue 1 18 and second fixing flap printing 1 19. Moreover, a label (332 in Fig. 3) may be fixed, when the package is closed, to the rear section 130 such that the label is partly visible on the rear section 130 and partly sandwiched between the fixing flap section 1 10 and the rear section 130. The label may form the seal or provide a further seal. The removable band may be formed by perforating a non-linear path through the fixing flap section over the width of the fixing flap section. The form of the path may be configured to hinder manual copying of the package. For instance, the path may form a zigzag or meandering pattern such that the package sheet 100 is difficult to replicate with domestic tools.

The removable band may be formed with a tearing strip or string configured to tear off a band of the fixing flap section. The strip may be formed of, for example, a strip of plastics, cellulose acetate, cotton or steel. The removable band may additionally or alternatively be provided on any one of the following sections: front section 120, rear section 130, and end flap section 150.

The reclosing tongue 1 18 may enable repeatedly closing the package again after the package has been opened by bending the reclosing tongue behind the edge of the rear section (and reverse section). The front section 120 may comprise a cover printing 122.

The rear section may comprise a glue band 132 or other permanent fixing region e.g. with double-sided adhesive tape. The rear section may further comprise a rear side printing 136. Fig. 1 also presents fixing regions 134 behind the rear section 130 for adhesive joining of the rear section with the reverse section 140, disclosed in more detail in connection with Fig. 2.

The reverse section is drawn with an outline 170 of the packaged article such as a mobile phone. The reverse section and the rear section may form a pocket. The pocket may be suited for storing a sales receipt and information related to the article (e.g. security codes) so as to provide a convenient storage for necessary documentation. The reverse section may comprise a tail cut-out 142. A document 144 may be attached to the reverse section 140. The document may be folded or in other form. The document may be folded by poster folding or zigzag folding, for instance. For instance, the document may be a relatively thin book or booklet. The book or booklet may comprise a number of sheets bound together by saddle stitch. The document may comprise electronic paper.

Fig. 1 shows a further fixing region 138 behind the rear section 130 for adhesive joining of the rear section 130 with the reverse section 140 in case that an access to the pocket is formed through a cut-out 148 at the fold between the rear section

130 and the reverse section 140. In this case, the tail cut-out 142 may be omitted to provide a surface for adhesive attaching with the rear section 130 (at region 138 of the rear section).

The end flap sections 150 may be formed by perforated arcs so that the shallow ends of the arced end flap sections are aligned in-line with the sides of the rear section 130. Around the end flap sections, there are drawn the extension parts 152 which comprise cut-outs or cuttings 154 to form an aperture for receiving ends of the packaged product. The aperture may be dimensioned for the product to be packaged into the package.

The forming of the package is explained in connection with Fig. 2 and the relationship of the different parts of the package becomes clearer from the description of how different sections are folded with relation to one another. Fig. 2 shows a schematic flow chart of producing a package sheet according to an embodiment of the invention.

The package sheet is cut 200 from a larger sheet of package material or from a roll of package material. The package material may be, for instance, cardboard, board or plastics. The cut-outs 142 and different perforations and cuttings (e.g. cuttings for openings 154 of the extension parts, folding/tearing lines of end flaps 150, perforation or cutting of the tearing band 116) are made, for instance, by using a suitable stance. The stance may also perform the cutting 200 of the package sheet.

The document 144 is attached 210 to the reverse section. The document may be, for instance, user instructions or a user guide for taking the product into use. The product may contain further information in electronic form so that a relatively thin document may suffice. For instance, the document as attached and compacted onto the reverse section may measure, for example, only few centimeters in two directions and few millimeters thick, e.g. 1 mm or 2 mm. The document may be attached to the reverse section, for instance, by gluing. Advantageously, same glue may be used for all permanent attachments. It is also to be understood that the document 144 may be permanently attached to the reverse section, because after the product has been taken from the package, the package forms a folder for storing the document 144. The reverse section 140 is folded 220 and glued 230 or otherwise attached to behind the rear section 130.

The label 332 may be attached 240 to the rear section 130 e.g. by removing a release paper from an adhesive surface and then applying the label 332 in place.

The end flap sections 150 are folded 250 by about 90 degrees towards one another, over an arced folding line between the end flap section 150 and the reverse section 140. Hence, the reverse section 140 and attached rear section 130 are forced to curve. Also, the end flap section 150 bends as a result of the folding 250 of the end flap sections so that at centre, the end flap sections are closer to each other than the tips of the folded end flap sections.

The extension parts 152 are folded 260 towards each other also by about 90 degrees.

The product 170 is guided 270 through apertures formed by the cuttings 154 by placing the product on the extension parts 152 and sliding the end of the product 170 through the aperture in one and then another of the extension parts. Hence, the extension parts 152 form a cradle for the product 170 in which the extension part covers the product at the end flap and cushions the product 170 where the tongue formed on producing the opening with the cuttings 154. The sides of the opening embrace the end of the product 170 and provide lateral or sideway support. The ends of the product 170 may engage with the central part of the end flap sections 150 as shown in Fig. 1 and support the product longitudinally.

The front section 120 is then folded 280 onto the product and the fixing flap is folded onto the rear section 130. The fixing flap section is affixed 290 to the rear section, for instance, by gluing. Figs. 1 and 3 show a glue band 132 onto which the end of the fixing flap section 1 10 is fixed (from the side that is behind the sheet a shown in Figs. 1 and 3, behind the sheet at the first fixing flap printing as shown in Fig. 1 ). The package may be substantially made of a single, uniform piece of sheet.

The front section may comprise a transparent window to display the packaged product through the package (not shown). The window may be formed using a sheet of cellulose acetate. Alternatively, the folding sheet may be formed of clear plastics that is not painted or coated at the window.

Fig. 3 shows a folding sheet 300 before assembly into a package according to a further embodiment of the invention. Fig. 3 shows in further detail a label 332 fixed to the rear section 130 under the permanent fixing region 132. The label 332 may comprise carry the adhesive material for forming the permanent fixing region 132. Moreover, the label 332 may comprise adhesive material for permanently fixing to the rear section 130. The label may be attached to the rear section in a process in which a first adhesive surface is exposed behind the label (e.g. by removal of a release paper), the label is affixed to the rear section, and a second adhesive surface is exposed for forming the permanent fixing region 132 onto which the fixing flap is folded on closing the package in order to seal the package.

The label may be a security label. The label may comprise a print that becomes visible when releasing of the label is attempted or when the label is released from the rear section.

The label may be transparent so that the rear surface is visible through the label.

The label may comprise an alarm device configured to trigger theft alarm if the package is carried through a security gate without inactivating the alarm device. The alarm device may be based on any existing technologies in the art of inhibiting shop-lifting. The package may be formed of a single sheet of material. The package may be equipped with the alarm device and security functionality by the same token by integrating the alarm device to the label so that the alarm device becomes attached to the package on sealing the package.

The foregoing description has provided by way of non-limiting examples of particular implementations and embodiments of the invention a full and informative description of the best mode presently contemplated by the inventors for carrying out the invention. It is however clear to a person skilled in the art that the invention is not restricted to details of the embodiments presented above, but that it can be implemented in other embodiments using equivalent means or in different combinations of embodiments without deviating from the characteristics of the invention.

Furthermore, some of the features of the above-disclosed embodiments of this invention may be used to advantage without the corresponding use of other features. As such, the foregoing description shall be considered as merely illustrative of the principles of the present invention, and not in limitation thereof. Hence, the scope of the invention is only restricted by the appended patent claims.

Claims

Claims:

1. A package for a product, the package comprising a folding sheet, wherein:

- the fixing flap is configured to fix the fixing flap to the rear section; and

- the package comprises a seal configured to enable detecting whether the package has been opened.

2. The package of claim 1 , wherein the package further comprises a once removable band.

3. The package of claim 2, wherein the removable band is formed by perforation that has a form configured to hinder manual copying of the package.

4. The package of any one of preceding claims, wherein the package further comprises a security label attached to the rear section and configured to indicate if the fixing flap is released from the rear section.

5. The package of any one of preceding claims, wherein the fixing flap is fixed to the rear section so that removing the fixing flap from the rear section by a user would normally cause visible damage to the package.

6. The package of any one of preceding claims, wherein the end flap sections are formed of a section separate from the front section and rear section.

7. The package of any one of preceding claims, wherein the end flap sections reside, when the package is closed, indented in the package so that both the front and rear sections extend over the end flap sections.

8. The package of any one of preceding claims, wherein the end flap sections are folded over arced folding lines, when the package is closed, so that the end flap sections are stiffened.

9. The package of any one of preceding claims, wherein the end flap sections are rounded so that, when the package is closed, the end flap sections are more recessed in the package than surrounding parts of the end flap sections.

10. The package of any one of preceding claims, wherein the product is a mobile phone.

1 1. The package of claim 10, wherein the mobile phone contains a battery within the mobile phone when packaged in the package.

12. The package of any one of preceding claims, wherein the folding sheet further comprises a reverse fold section adjacent to the rear section.

13. The package of claim 12, wherein the reverse fold section is folded onto the rear section so that when the package is closed the reverse fold section resides within the package.

14. The package of claim 12 or 13, wherein the reverse fold section and the rear section of the folding sheet are configured to define a pocket configured to receive a document.

15. The package of any one of claims 12 to 14, wherein the package further comprises a document attached inside the package to the reverse fold section.

16. The package of claim 14 or 15, wherein the end flap sections are provided with perforation configured to facilitate removal of the end flap sections by a user so as to facilitate flattening of the package into a folder for the document.

17. The package of any one of claims 14 to 16, wherein the document is retracted by folding.

18. The package of any one of preceding claims, wherein the package is configured repeatedly closeable.

19. The package of any one of preceding claims, wherein the end flap sections comprise extension parts configured to extend into the package as a lateral support for the product.

20. The package of any one of preceding claims, wherein the folding sheet is made of cardboard.

21.A method of producing a package for a product, the method comprising:

- cutting a piece of sheet;

- folding the piece of sheet to folds so as to form:

- fixing the fixing flap to the rear section; and

- sealing the package with a seal configured to enable detecting whether the package has been opened.